76 Catalogue of Works 



Hunt, T. F., Architect, St. James's Palace, London : 



1. Half a dozen Hints on Picturesque Domestic Architecture, in a Series 

 of Designs for Gate-Lodges, Gamekeeper's Cottages, and other Rural 

 Residences. Lond. 2d edit. 4to. 10 plates. 



2. Designs for Parsonage Houses, Alms Houses, &c. &c, with Examples 

 of Gables, and other curious Remains of Old English Architecture. 

 Lond. 4to. 21 plates. 



Architecture is an art in which, till lately, very few of its modern pro- 

 fessors have been able to think rightly. With the revival of the Grecian 

 style in this country, in the early part of the seventeenth century, few 

 architects could carry their views farther than to rules and precedents in 

 matters of detail. About the beginning of the eighteenth century, all was 

 considered barbarous that was not Grecian ; towards the end of the same 

 century, the Gothic style came into vogue ; and, twenty years ago, every 

 young architect was either " all for the Grecian," or " all for the Gothic." 

 A superior education, and a certain degree of the study and practice of 

 sketching objects in general, has led to a better knowledge of the abstract 

 principles of composition as applied to form; and hence, in the present day, 

 there is something like a dawning of liberal taste. 



The cause why so few architects have been enabled to think rightly in 

 their profession may, as we think, be traced to their not being able to ana- 

 lyse the sources of the pleasures derivable from works of architecture ; to 

 separate the accidental associations of classical, historical, and imitative 

 beauty, from the more permanent associations of fitness, grandeur, uni- 

 formity, and variety. The greatest stumbling-block to young architects, 

 and the greatest hinderance to the progress of knowledge and taste in the 

 art, both to artists and amateurs, are what is called the five orders. Till 

 lately, whatever could not be reduced to them was considered as destitute 

 of proportion ; a word which, as it is commonly applied, means that those 

 forms are most pleasing to which we have been most accustomed. At any 

 rate, the beauty of proportion is merely relative ; of one part of a building 

 relatively to the whole, or of the whole relatively to some preconceived 

 notions in the mind of the spectator. But the columns of a building have 

 no more to do with the principles on which it is constructed, than the stair- 

 case or chimney-tops ; and there might just as well be five orders of steps or 

 of chimneys, as five orders of columns. 



In order to illustrate what we have asserted, we shall take a brief view 

 of the different sources of satisfaction which buildings are calculated to 

 afford, and these we shall find may all be included under the terms fitness 

 and expression. 



The first and most obvious beauty sought in any building is its utility, or 

 fitness for the purpose for which it was constructed. This implies in the 

 spectator a knowledge of the usages of society in that particular country 

 where the building was erected. The next principle is the fitness of the 

 parts of the building for their respective situations and uses ; and this im- 

 plies in the spectator a knowledge of the strength of the materials made use 

 of in the structure. 



The second grand principle of beauty is that every building should, by its 

 appearance, communicate the idea or expression of what it is ; and it fol- 

 lows, as a matter of course, that, in the expression of buildings, as in the ex- 

 pression of other objects, there must be low, vulgar, common, cultivated, 

 refined, elegant, dignified, and other expressions indicative of different grades 

 in the progress of taste. 



The former part of architecture is founded on mechanical and general 

 science ; the latter, on the principles of beauty as applied to forms. The 

 lowest degree of beauty, in respect to form, is regularity as opposed to con- 

 fusion ; the highest degree, regularity joined with variety and intricacy. A 

 second source of beauty, in respect to form, consists of imitation ; and this 



